Sabarimala

Here are some of the arguments I’ve heard opposing the recent verdict by the Supreme Court of India allowing women entry to Sabarimala. I’ll break them down one by one.

Its a clear case of judicial overreach. These things take time and will have to happen gradually, organically from within the society itself. Rather than imposing something from the outside, the affected society should bring about this change by having conversations among themselves. Bullshit. Lets turn the clock back and discuss the rights of Dalits to enter temples as and when they please, in presence or not of a person of upper caste. Lets hypothetically say there will be no law providing equal rights to Dalits because, you know, that right would violate the religious sensibilities of the majority of upper caste Hindus. Let that change happen organically too. Yeah. Not holding my breath on that.

But the constitution provided for equal rights for Dalits. This is an arbitrary law passed by a handful of activist judges. Granted. To a degree. But the constitution wasn’t some piece of work that magically appeared from nowhere. It was a document, and a set of laws drafted and passed by, yes, you guessed it right, people. Oh, and by the way, headed by a man, much respected (at least outside the bigot circle) today but reviled in his time. Don’t believe me? Read Annihilation of Caste by B.R. Ambedkar to get a sense of how reviled he was by upper caste and really most Hindus that weren’t “untouchables” and the level of animosity between him and Gandhi.

Speaking of arbitrary laws, how about we strike down another arbitrary one that decriminalized gay sex in India. A law to strike down a law to strike down a law that was passed to strike down a law.

But so many women’s groups are protesting this decision. And your point is? I can also find groups that go by “Blacks for Trump, “Hispanics for Trump”, “Minorities for Trump”, and I’m almost positive if I looked carefully enough even find a “Immigrants for Trump” group. The two topics are unconnected you say? The point is that this is the Sabarimala version of “but I have a black friend so I cannot be racist” argument. Again, calling bullshit on that.

But what about Muslims not allowing women to pray alongside men in mosques? Might I respectfully suggest that if we are going to look to an Abrahamic religion for practices to emulate lets look a little further and find one that isn’t famous (or infamous) for subjugating women? Just a little further. To about six hundred years or so earlier. Also, whatabout-ism is not an argument. It’s a disease more and more reasonable people seem to be suffering from these days but not an argument.

“They” get to do whatever “they” want because you guys appease minorities. We poor Hindus have to bear the brunt of your liberal progressive ideas by compromising on our religious beliefs. Hindus are the real victims here. Yeah. Hindu’s are victims in India (especially Modi’s India) just like rich white men are victims in Trump’s America.

You have to be a Malayalee to understand where we’re coming from. Yeah. Ok. I’d also have to be Arab to understand why men in that part of the world insist on putting on their women a full body, face covering armor with a tiny opening for the eyes . Closer to home I was told that to really understand Jallikattu and what it means to Tamil “culture” I’d have to live in Tamil Nadu. Growing up part of your life in Tamil Nadu and spending months of summer vacation there wouldn’t do. You have to go to and live in the villages specifically. Remember Jallikattu? Seems like decades ago but it’s only been over a year or so if I recall correctly.

Women in Kerala are empowered. That’s why we don’t care so much about this. It’s only outsiders that are stirring up trouble. Do you know there are temples in Kerala where men aren’t allowed to enter? Yeah, ok. Granted Kerala is a progressive state and women are definitely more empowered there than most of the rest of the country, All of it possibly. As I understand there’s a certain community in Kerala where children even take their mothers’ last name instead of their fathers’. Even so you can’t tell me that the traditional practices used to discriminate against women don’t happen at all or that they happen in such negligible numbers so as to be considered non-existent. That Kerala is somehow inoculated from this scourge that affects the rest of the country. Not buyin’ it. Oh, and it does sometimes take an outsider to point out the wrongs that for centuries have been normalized because “thats how its always been done and we’ve made peace with it”. So the “please don’t stir the pot unnecessarily with your liberal progressive nonsense because you don’t understand our culture” line doesn’t work. Sorry. No can’t do. People like me will stir the pot constantly when it comes to liberal progressive ideas. If you don’t like it please make cogent arguments.

The last one and this is the best: “This has nothing to do with how post pubescent and pre menopausal women are a polluting influence and have been treated over the years in India. Ayyappa is a celibate god. He took a vow never to marry and went to Sabarimala. That’s why women in reproductive stages of their lives should not enter Sabarimala.” Child please! He’s a god, isn’t he? You said so yourself. I’m sure he doesn’t need help from us earth dwelling mortals to stay celibate. If he’s still celibate, and pardon the irreverence (reiterating irreverence, not disrespect) here, I feel for the guy. I mean can you imagine the number of times he’s had the “what the hell were you thinking?” conversation with himself? Sorry but I’m inclined to believe must have this figured out by now. Plus I’m willing to bet five bucks that there have been other acts you as humans have engaged in that he’s been disappointed by more. Acts that are probably far worse than allowing women to enter a temple.

Ok, this is the last one. Not so much a refutation but a reiteration. Religious beliefs have been used to perpetrate some of the most egregious acts of discrimination against groups of underprivileged people throughout history. In fact religious beliefs were used to justify the most heinous of these acts that man has ever perpetrated against fellow man: slavery. Closer to home they have been used as an excuse to deny all manner of civil rights (and in many cases human rights) to underprivileged classes like Dalits. The premise on which denying women of a certain age entry to a temple is rooted in such misogyny that it should be an affront to every decent free thinking human being. Liberal or not. Woman or not. Anyone justifying otherwise to keep these archaic institutions in their calcified forms are just arguing semantics.

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